WATCH: Brandon Hilton’s “Set Fire to the Night”

When I heard that Dallas-based singer Brandon Hilton’s newest single was titled “Set Fire to the Night,” I tweeted him asking what would Adele say about it since she has her song “Set Fire to the Rain.” With a confident bravado, he quickly tweeted back:

That was back in December. It was kind of funny, but also significant of Hilton’s self-assurance. Like him or not, Hilton is relentless in his drive to be a viable pop star and his new video released this week proves he’s trying to step up his game. It may not have the slick production value of a major artist, but there is a sense of graduation as he attempts to say something here — or just get your attention. And the visual effects, while not big budget, do make a memorable impression.

But the party beat and slashed to hell editing makes the video work for me. Although I do wish he had followed up with that big smack in the beginning of the video. What happened to that bully? Did he get his? A bunch of different images and looks override the opening and we’re left hanging. Don’t forget the story, Hilton.